1st and 8th Grade Buddy Felt Monster Exchange!!!

Today the 1st and 8th graders had their buddy picnic and the 8th graders presented their buddies with the felt monsters they have been working on secretly in class based on a picture of a monster the 1st graders had drawn.  Here is a video from today's monster exchange.  I think it was a hit!  

Your Trash=My Treasure

As you clean-out your closets or garage this summer and are thinking about throwing all of the stuff away...STOP....it might just be an art classroom treasure!

While there is a list on www.schooltoolbox.com with a link to "Mrs. Saca's Art classes," the below list are items that you might be looking to get rid of or items from around the house.  Please do not go out and buy these items but if you are getting rid of any of these things, please feel free to donate them to the art room.  

-Electric drill
-Hot glue sticks
-Paper plates
-Brown paper lunch bags
-Aluminum foil
-Rubber bands
-Sandpaper
-Cereal boxes (flattened)

This list will grow and change as I think of projects for the upcoming year.  This is not a complete list.  If you have something that you think the art room might use, please drop me an email at any time and I'll let you know if I, or another teacher on campus, could use it.  

Thank you in advance!  

Question Answered!

The blog will continue!  I enjoy doing it but I wasn't sure if anyone was reading it.  I was WRONG.  Someone mentioned that it may not be showing page views because people are reading the email notifications.  Now, that makes sense!!!!  

Thank you everyone for the posts and the emails.  No worries, the blog will continue!  Looking forward to a new year and lots more new and exciting projects!!!

To Blog or Not To Blog....That is the Question?

Now is the time to voice your opinion on whether or not the SFC Art blog should continue next year.

It is hard for me to accurately gauge how many people are following (I don't think the blog counter is accurate) or how many people are actually reading it.

If you feel it should continue, please comment below.

8th Grade Early-Finishers Design Challenge

As the 8th graders were finishing up with their felt monsters for their 1st grade buddies, some of the students were finished earlier than others, so I offered them a design challenge.

Using common supplies in the art room (craft sticks, toothpicks, cardboard, string, etc...) students were to work in teams of up to 4 people to create and design a small scale playground with the structures being functional (if it's a swing, it needs to swing).

4 or 5 teams of students took up the challenge and these are their highly creative playground designs. Maybe we have future city and regional planners in our mist.

While the craftsmanship might be a bit crude, these designs are high in creativity!  They whipped these up in a couple of 45 minute class periods.

Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians Meet Van Gogh in the Art Room

6th graders on "Ancient Civilization Day" continue to work on their Vincent Van Gogh grid drawings in Art class.

Pharaohs and Roman soldiers and Greek Gods all making beautiful works of Art!

The Big Reveal

A few months ago, the 1st graders were asked to make a picture of a monster.  They had no idea why.

Their 8th grade buddy/buddies were given the artwork and instructed in art class to design a felt doll that resembles the monster in the picture.  8th graders spent weeks, sewing and pattern making in order to make these adorable dolls that will be given to their 1st grade buddies at the buddy picnic in a few weeks.  The 1st graders have no idea that their 8th grade buddies have been working on this.

I can't wait to see all of their reactions.  Here is a sneak peek at the results.  Don't share this with any 1st graders.  We want it to be a surprise!

7th Grade Watercolor Monsters

7th Grader's end of the year project was to create an abstract watercolor painting.  Once this was done, they were instructed to outline EVERY change in color and EVERY major change in value. 
When everything was outlined, they were asked to look at their picture from every angle and try to see any blobs that could be turned into monsters. 

After they were completely done, they were to make another blob or two and make it 3-dimensional and popping out of their picture.  A few students are done.  Most will be finished next week.  Here is a preview: 

4th Grade Tissue Paper Bouquets

I just LOVE these!  I would frame each and every one of them if I could.  They just make me smile!
4th graders made these using bleeding tissue paper.  The neat thing about bleeding tissue paper is that when you add a painted coat of liquid glue on top, the color spreads like watercolor.

I think the results speak for themselves.

6th Grade Officially Has A Professional Artist!!!

Rachel I. has sold her first piece of artwork to Mr. Cetinich!!!!  Rachel's story quilt of her dog, Muffin, looks identical to Mr. Ceninich's dog and when he saw her artwork hanging in the art room, he asked me immediately who the artist was.  He then offered to buy the artwork off of Rachel for an undisclosed ;) amount of money. 

Congratulations, Rachel!  You are officially a professional artist!!!!

8th Grade Art

While 8th graders are finishing up a super secret Art project (to be revealed in a few weeks), students who have already finished are working on a design challenge.

They have been asked in teams or individually to use basic art supplies to build a functioning and creatively designed playground structure.  The winning team will a prize!

Here are a few pictures of the students in the initial planning/building phase:

 

Completed Projects: Week of May 2nd

7th Graders have completed their Animal Details Collage.  We discussed including the viewer in their artwork design and about creating interest in their works of art.

If students were in a museum and they stood next to a regular painting of a lion and a painting that gave them clues that what they were looking at was an animal but you weren't quite sure, we talked about how students would spend more time in front of the the one they were unsure of.  That paintings like this draw the viewer in as they are a part of the artwork itself.  They have to figure it out as opposed to it being spelled out for them.

Based on this, students had to create an animal detail collage.
The collage of four pieces had to include:
-The eye of the animal
-A distinguishing feature of the animal
-A zoom-in, and
-The artists choice

Students then had the optional choice of adding sharpie details or color using watercolors or colored pencils.

These are some of the final works:

5th grade Massai pictures are now hanging in the hallway.  They look spectacular.  Truly, one of my favorite projects.  They are just beautiful.